read it and eat with T. Susan Chang
Hello visitors. This site contains material relating to my work as a food writer and cookbook reviewer, and is no longer being updated. If you’re looking for my work in tarot and divination, press onward!
You can still find information on all my archived food writing here, as well as information about the Level Teaspoon podcast I hosted from 2016-2017.
EPISODE 15: HOLIDAY COOKBOOK RECOMMENDATIONS Pt. 3 – Kids’ Cookbooks & Stocking Stuffers / Roast chicken, roast cabbage, pain de campagne & *croissants*!!!
Listen to The Level Teaspoon podcast by subscribing on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play.
KIDS’ COOKBOOKS recommendations:
but also worth considering
for younger kids.]
This week’s test cookbook #1: Small Victories: Recipes, Advice + Hundreds of Ideas for Kitchen Victories, by Julia Turshen (Chronicle Books)
This week’s guest #2: Pete Baker
Pete Baker is the Kitchen Manager at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre Massachusetts. He spends much of his time on food and drink related activities including bread baking and pizza making in a homemade outdoor wood-fired clay oven, keeping bees and chickens, and tending to a very large vegetable garden and small orchard as well as foraging for mushrooms. He also is an avid home brewer.
This week’s test cookbook #2: Bread Illustrated: a Step by Step Guide to Achieving Bakery Quality Results at Home, by America’s Test Kitchen
Episode 15 Music
Episode 15 Sound Effects
Lethbridge Sounds, and others hosted at freesound.org, soundbible.com, and looperman.com, as well as my own recordings.
The Level Teaspoon’s theme music: Não me touques, performed by The Bees Knees International Café Orchestra
Hear it all on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or find it by searching for “The Level Teaspoon” any other podcast service you may use!
EPISODE 14: HOLIDAY COOKBOOK RECOMMENDATIONS Pt. 2 – ETHNIC COOKBOOKS / Chicken lettuce wraps, spinach-Gruyère soufflé, simple salad.
Listen to The Level Teaspoon podcast by subscribing on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play.
ETHNIC/REGIONAL COOKBOOK RECOMMENDATIONS:
Sally Ekus is a literary agent and co-owner of The Lisa Ekus Group, a full service culinary agency specializing in literary and talent representation. She represents a wide range of culinary talent, from first-time cookbook authors to seasoned chefs, professional food writers to bloggers, and internet and television personalities (and she also represented my own book, A Spoonful of Promises!). Sally loves being the liaison between an author and their publisher, and takes great pride in guiding authors towards their dreams of publication. Sally has a deep love of phở, anything spicy, and of course TACOS! You can follow her on Instagram @SallyEkus.
This week’s test cookbook #1: Damn Delicious by Chungah Rhee (Oxmoor Press)
This week’s guest #2: Molly Stevens
This week’s test cookbook #2: Taste & Technique, by Naomi Pomeroy
Episode 14 Music
The Level Teaspoon’s theme music: Não me touques, performed by The Bees Knees International Café Orchestra
Hear it all on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or find it by searching for “The Level Teaspoon” any other podcast service you may use!
This is the time of year when you notice cooks casting meaningful glances at spots in their kitchens that are missing that indispensable tool. Unfortunately it’s hard to decipher a look. Here’s what they’re trying to tell you they really want. You can hover over the images for my Reasons Why, and click on them for more info and buy links.
POWERED APPLIANCES I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT
INDISPENSABLE THINGS WITH BLADES
RANDOM STUFF YOU DIDN’T KNOW YOU NEEDED WHICH WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE
EPISODE 13: Holiday COOKBOOK RECOMMENDATIONS Pt. 1 – BAKING BOOKS / Chocolate and Brown Sugar Buttercream Rolled Cake with Crushed Pistachios and
Double-Chocolate Chunk Blondie Bars with Bourbon Ganache!
Listen to The Level Teaspoon podcast by subscribing on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play.
Baking Book Recommendations:
“I am the Cookbook Promotions Manager for Eat Your Books and the founder of The Cookbook Junkies, a Facebook group of 38,000 cookbook fanatics and website of the same name located here. I wrote a column on cookbook reviews for TasteBook and I write a bi-weekly column for Sunday Supper Movement. I also provide reviews for Publishers Weekly. A New Yorker for over 15 years, I moved to Colorado three years ago with my husband and son, Andrew who is 12. I am an avid cook and baker – and have far too many kitchen related items and cookbooks (4000) in my home.”
This week’s test cookbook: Marbled, Swirled, and Layered by Irvin Lin (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
The publisher was kind enough to give us permission to reprint the recipes for Chocolate and Brown Sugar Buttercream Rolled Cake with Crushed Pistachios and Double-Chocolate Chunk Blondie Bars with Bourbon Ganache here.
Episode 13 Music
Episode 13 Sound Effects
The Level Teaspoon’s theme music: Não me touques, performed by The Bees Knees International Café Orchestra
Hear it all on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or find it by searching for “The Level Teaspoon” any other podcast service you may use!
EPISODE 12: The Thanksgiving PIE episode / Potato-stuffed Chiles Rellenos & Purple Potato Focaccia! Listen to The Level Teaspoon podcast by subscribing on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play.
“Hey Susie, What were those books that you mentioned in that pie episode this week?”
Wanna buy the flakiest rendered leaf lard ever? Dietrich’s Meats is your answer. Just give yourself a couple weeks.
This week’s test cookbook: Smashed, Mashed, Boiled, and Baked – and Fried, too! by Raghavan Iyer (Workman Publishing)
Photographer: Matthew Benson
The publisher was kind enough to give us permission to reprint Raghavan’s Potato-stuffed Chiles Rellenos and Purple Potato Focaccia recipes here.
Episode 12 Music
Episode 12 Sound Effects
The Level Teaspoon’s theme music: Não me touques, performed by The Bees Knees International Café Orchestra
Hear it all on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or find it by searching for “The Level Teaspoon” any other podcast service you may use!
EPISODE 11: Best Recipes 2016 Begins / All About Breakfast
Ningbo omelet with dried shrimp and Chinese chives
3 oz (75g) Chinese or garlic chives
3 tbsp cooking oil
3/4 oz (25g) papery dried shrimp
4 large eggs
1/2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
Salt and ground white pepper
Trim off and discard the white ends off the chives, and cut the green leaves into 2 in (5mm) sections. Heat 1 tablespoon cooking oil in your wok or pan, then stir-fry the shrimp until they smell delicious and are faintly golden. Remove and set aside.
Beat the eggs, add the Shaoxing wine, shrimp and chives, and season with salt and pepper. Pour the remaining cooking oil into a hot, seasoned wok or frying pan. When it is hot, pour in the egg mixture. Use a wok scoop to push in from the sides of the omelet several times, allowing the runny egg mixture to fill the space you have created. When there is no longer enough runny egg to do this, leave the omelet to fry over a medium flame until the base is golden and the eggs are nearly set.
Cover the omelet with a plate and carefully invert the pan so the omelet turns out on to the plate, then slide it back into the pan and cook the other side until golden. Slide the omelet onto a chopping board. Cut it into 1 1/2 in (4cm) strips, then cut the strips diagonally into chopstickable slices. Pile up on a serving dish.
Also: assorted breakfast recipes from Rise and Shine, by Katie Sullivan-Morford, with guest Jandro Levins.
Alejandro Levins is an entrepreneur, investor and consultant interested in improving our food system through innovation. His love of eating and feeding others led to his love of cooking, which he does nearly every day.
You can also check out the wicked cool cheese cutter Jandro mentions in the interview while you’re listening.
Episode 11 Music
Episode 11 Sound Effects
The Level Teaspoon’s theme music: Não me touques, performed by The Bees Knees International Café Orchestra
Hear it all on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or find it by searching for “The Level Teaspoon” any other podcast service you may use!
EPISODE 10: Vegan Adventures and Misadventures, the Perils of Okra, Japanese Home Cooking / Dorie’s Cookies! (with Kathy Gunst)
The Level Teaspoon can be found on iTunes, Stitcher, and Google Play – or find it by searching for “The Level Teaspoon” on any othenr podcast service you may use. You can also hear it through your browser at The Level Teaspoon site.
The Superfun Times Vegan Holiday Cookbook: Entertaining for Absolutely Every Occasion, by Isa Chandra Moskowitz (Little Brown)
Turkish Delights: Stunning Regional Recipes from the Bosphorus to the Black Sea by John Gregory-Smith, by John Gregory-Smith (Kyle Books)
Mastering the Art of Japanese Home Cooking, by Masahiru Morimoto (Ecco Press)
Noteworthy titles
Food Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of Our Edible World by Julia Rothman (Storey Press)
Toast Hash Roast Mash: Real Food For Every Time of Day, by Dan Doherty (Frances Lincoln)
Poole’s: Recipes and stories from a Modern Diner, by Ashley Christensen (10 Speed)
This Week’s Recipe Tests!
Kathy Gunst is the author of 15 cookbooks; her latest book is Soup Swap (Chronicle Books). She is a James Beard award winning food journalist and the Resident Chef for NPR’s Here and Now, heard on over 450 public radio stations.
Episode 10 Music
“Waunobe March,” by Kevin Macleod
“Fast Talkin'” by Kevin Macleod
“Yegah Sirto,”by Ehl-i Keyif
“Sevdam Olmasa Muhabbet Bagi,” by Wind of Anatolia
“Pyro Flow,” by Kevin Macleod
Episode 10 sound effects
Sound effects by
TerryHancock, timlaroche,, . . .and others hosted at freesound.org, soundbible.com, and looperman.com, as well as my own recordings.
The Level Teaspoon’s theme music:
Não me touques, performed by The Bees Knees International Café Orchestra
Hear it all on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or find it by searching for “The Level Teaspoon” any other podcast service you may use!
EPISODE 9: Susie’s Epic Fail, Sous Vide at Home, Learn to Cook Indian / A Malaysian Fish Curry & a Persian Dinner
The Level Teaspoon can be found on iTunes, Stitcher, and Google Play – or find it by searching for “The Level Teaspoon” on any other podcast service you may use. You can also hear it through your browser at The Level Teaspoon site.
Lucky Peach Presents Power Vegetables! Turbocharged Recipes fro Vegetables with Guts, by Peter Meehan (10 Speed)
Sous Vide at Home: The Modern Technique for Perfectly Cooked Meals, by Lisa Fetterman (10 Speed)
The Indian Cooking Course, by Monisha Baradwaj (Kyle Books)
Noteworthy titles
What Good Cooks Know: 20 Years of Test Kitchen Expertise in One Essential Handbook by the Editors of America’s Test Kitchen (America’s Test Kitchen)
30 Ingredients, by Sally Clarke (Frances Lincoln)
Market Math: 50 Ingredients x 4 Recipes = 200 Simple, Creative Dishes, by the editors of Food + Wine (Harmony Books)
This Week’s Recipe Tests!
Fuchsia Dunlop is a cook and food-writer specializing in Chinese cuisine. She is the author of Land of Fish and Rice: Recipes from the Culinary Heart of China (a collection of recipes from the Jiangnan or Lower Yangtze Region in eastern China), the award-winning Every Grain of Rice: Simple Chinese Home Cooking; Shark’s Fin and Sichuan Pepper: A Sweet-Sour Memoir of Eating in China, an account of her adventures in exploring Chinese food culture; and two other critically-acclaimed Chinese cookery books, Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook, and Sichuan Cookery (published in the US as Land of Plenty).
Episode 9 Music
“Earth and Stone,” by Kevin Hartnell.
“Zanzibar,” by Kevin MacLeod
“Haratanaya Sree,” by Veena Kinhal
“Hackbeat,” by Kevin MacLeod
Episode 9 sound effects
Sound effects by kokopetiyot, JanKoehl, LG, . . .and others hosted at freesound.org, soundbible.com, and looperman.com, as well as my own recordings.
The Level Teaspoon’s theme music:
Não me touques, performed by The Bees Knees International Café Orchestra
Hear it all on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or find it by searching for “The Level Teaspoon” any other podcast service you may use!
EPISODE 8: The Magic and Moonlight All-Pumpkin HALLOWEEN Edition / Cocktails & Cards!
The Level Teaspoon can be found on iTunes, Stitcher, and Google Play – or find it by searching for “The Level Teaspoon” on any other podcast service you may use. You can also hear it through your browser at The Level Teaspoon site.
Review titles:
Homestyle Vegan: Easy, Everyday Plant-Based Recipes, by Amber St. Peter (Page Street Publishing)
The Gourmet Kitchen: Recipes from the Creator of Savory Simple, by Jennifer Farley (Gallery Books)
Persepolis: Vegetarian Recipes from Persia and Beyond, by Sally Butcher (Interlink Books)
Noteworthy titles
The Magic of Gingerbread: 16 Beautiful projects to make and eat by Catherine Beddall (Peter Pauper Press)
The Moon Juice Cookbook: Cosmic Alchemy for a Thriving Body, Beauty, and Consciousness, by Amanda Chantal Bacon (Pam Krauss Books).
The Monster’s Cookbook: Everyday Recipes for the Living Dead and Undead, by Hoxton Street Monster Supplies (Mitchell Beazley)
This Week’s Recipe Test!
Peter Stuart has worked as a radio broadcaster, and producer, a community development provocateur, environmental technology champion, news editor and recently in the aged care sector. He reads voraciously, eats and drinks safe in the knowledge his metabolism is just super and still dances to disco music. Oh and he plays with tarot cards too.
Episode 8 Music
“Chillin Hard,” by Kevin MacLeod
“Lake in the Woods,” by TRG Banks
“Chat Fetiche,” by Glockabelle
“Cotton Candy Monster,” by Chase Alan Willis
“Witchcraft,” by Cy Coleman/Carolyn Leigh [performed by Susie Chang (piano)]
Episode 8 sound effects
Sound effects by CGEffex, ShotgunPicker, Hybrid_V, Akrythael, madumcc, MWLANDI, RobinHood76, . . . and others hosted at freesound.org, soundbible.com, and looperman.com, as well as my own recordings.
The Level Teaspoon’s theme music:
Não me touques, performed by The Bees Knees International Café Orchestra
Hear it all on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or find it by searching for “The Level Teaspoon” any other podcast service you may use!
Book tested: 
cookbooks for dinner 